Spud-ahchor for vessels



A. IVICDOUGALL.

SPUD ANCHOR FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20. I9I8.

1,329,642. Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

.ALEXANDER IVICDOUG'ALL, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

SPUlD-ANCHOR FOR VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4i, 1919.

Application filed April 20, 1918. Serial No. 229,874.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER McDou- GALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpud-Anchors for Vessels, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

rlhis invention relates to anchorage devices for vessels and has specialreference to shallow draft vessels such as navigate rivers.

On shallow navigable rivers and particularly the Mississippi, the pilotsand aids to navigation are many times, sorely taxed for want ofanchorage or suitable stopping places when during the night or in foggyor smoky weather, it becomes necessary to stop the boat or tow.

Favorable landing places are invariably far apart and always more orless dangerous to make, frequently resulting in damage either to thesteamer or tow or both and often requiring very long hawsers to reachtrees or stumps to tie to, all of which adds to the awkwardness, expenseand danger accompanying such operation.

To avoid much, if not all of these objectionable and dangerous featuresis the primary object of my present invention and other objects andadvantages will appear in the further description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and inwhich like reference characters represent like parts:

Figure l is a side elevation of a river steamer equipped with myimproved anchorage device, illustrating one set thereof in action.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. l.

F ig. 3 is a similar view showing the spuds raised and not in use asanchorage means,

y and from the main deck 0f the hull 2 of the boat and over the sidesthereof. Such attachment to the deck may be accomplished in any desiredmanner either by ropes, chains or other practical means, oneform ofwhich is illus- .trated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

These spuds may be made of wood or iron and a preferred form would be acombination of both, to better withstand the abuse they might receive inengaging the bed of the river.

The spuds would be made of a length and size to suit the depth of waterand other individual requirements, so as to extend at least several feetbelow the bottom of the boat and engage the bed of the river. Adjacentthe foot or lower end of each spud are securely attached two opposedwire lines or chains 3, one leading aft and the other forward to themain deck of the boat where they may be made fast to suitable strongbollards or cleats as required. By these lines the spuds may be swung toany desired angle either forward or aft and there secured, or brought upentirely out of the Water alongside of the boat.

A boat may be equipped with one or more sets of these spuds as desired,they preferably being in pairs on opposite sides of the boat and onlarge boats with tows, doubtless four spuds would be required.

By this arrangement, it is evident that when it is desired to anchor theboat, the spuds may be lowered to engage the bed of the river and therefirmly held by the lines at any angle such engagement may result in,thus forming a secure anchorage for the boat and if such anchorage isemployed at both ends of the boat, she may be still more firmly heldagainst movement or swinging motion.

In making such anchorage, the pilot would assist by checking the motionof the boat with her wheel suuicient for the spuds to securely hold, andmay, if necessary, increase their holding ability by crowding the boatagainst their angle of inclination when lowered and thus force themdeeper into the bed of the river vand in which position they may besecurely held by the lines 3, the loosening of which would instantlyrelease the boat.

F rom the foregoing it is evident that I have devised a simple andpractical form of anchorage for shallow draft vessels and one whichmaterially augmente the practicability of river commerce in that itassures for a boat or a boat with a tow safe and secure anchoragepractically any place inV from the vessel, a line attached near the freeend of each Spud leading aft and a like line leading forward from thefree end of the Spud, whereby the latter may be rigidly held 15 at anydesired angle fore and aft when engaging the bed of the river.v

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL. Y

Witnesses:

A. C. DUNN, S. GEO. STEVENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

